Fan Spotlight

PATTI'S BUTTERFLIES FAN SPOTLIGHT CONTEST

Congratulations to Khalid of Philly who has been chosen for the Patti's Butterflies Fan Spotlight for January! Thanks to all who submitted entries for this contest.  Want to be the next Butterfly spotlighted? Click here for more information.

Khalid's Winning Story:
My name is Khalid Long, I am 21 years old and I am the biggest Patti Labelle fan. In fact, I am listening to Patti Labelle’s song Moon Shadow as I type this email. I have all of Ms. Patti’s Cds. I love Ms. Patti so much that my family and friends will call me at 3am just to say that Ms. Patti’s song is playing on the radio or television and I surely get up and listen. I love Ms. Patti so much that one year she did a “Coming Home to Philly” concert in Philadelphia at the Dell East. I did not go to any school trips that year just so I could save my money and buy a ticket. Her concert was better than any school trip.

I have been listening to Patti Labelle since birth because of my grandmother, mother, aunts, and uncles. I listen to Patti Labelle’s music each and everyday. I love all of her old music, since the Labelle and Bluebelles’ era. I love Patti Labelle’s Stir it up, Oh people, You are my friend, Can I speak to you before you go to Hollywood, Flame, Forever Young, Right Kinda Lover, Joy to have your love, Do I stand a chance, Isn’t it a Shame, Yo Mister, Love 89, Night Birds, and many more and of course her signature song, Over the Rainbow. Many people do not know about Ms. Patti’s older music, but I certainly do.

My brother was a Philadelphia Police Officer, Hasan Long, and he was killed in 2005 and Ms. Patti’s music eases the pain . I love to listen to her rendition of The Lord’s Prayer. There are times where I find myself on You Tube just to look at videos of Ms. Patti Labelle. I even listen to her Christmas Songs all year long. There is a video of Ms. Patti Labelle on You tube singing O Holy Night from the 1980’s. That video is so spiritual and soulful that I find myself listening to it four to five times a day.

My mother is a former employee of Jim’s Steaks in West Philadelphia, PA and my mother knows how big of a fan I am of Ms. Patti. Ms. Patti was a frequent visitor of Jim’s Steaks and one night my mother had the chance to speak to her. My mother told Ms. Patti all about me. Ms. Patti told my mother to call me on the telephone immediately. The telephone could not reach from behind the counter, but I heard Ms. Patti yelling into the phone that she loves me and was glad she had me as a fan. I was so shocked, honored, and happy at the same time. A few days later, Ms. Patti came back into Jim’s Steaks with an autographed photo for me. I still have that Photo hanging up in my Grandparent’s dry cleaning business.

I have attended numerous Patti Labelle concerts and I also attended the Mary Mason’s Mothers Day Brunch when Ms. Patti was honored as the mother of the year. At that same Mother’s day dinner, I won Ms. Patti’s first cookbook. Every Holiday I bake a cake using Ms. Patti’s Pound Cake recipe. I am a theatre arts major at Cheyney University of Pa, America’s Oldest HBCU. As a theatre major, music is an element of drama. When I hear Ms. Patti sing, my eyes tear up because music is an element of the soul and her music not only touches my soul, but it carries it like it’s a newborn baby.

I am Ms. Patti’s biggest fan, not because I am a native of Philly, not because I am also a performing artist, but because Patti Labelle is a down to Earth sister who acknowledges God for her gift, gives credit to her parents and sisters, and she also does what not many other artist do; Ms. Patti always acknowledges her musical director Mr. Budd Ellison, her band, and her orchestra. Also, what Ms. Patti did for the Philadelphia members on NBC’s Clash of the Choir is nothing short of amazing

Sincerely,
Ms. Patti's Biggest Fan
Khalid

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